To:Traci Allen, Graciela Casillas-Tortorelli, Corey Wendt

Memorandum

To:Traci Allen, Graciela Casillas-Tortorelli, Corey Wendt

From:Emily Bartel and Trulie Thompson

Date:October 6, 2016

Re:Full-time Non-Tenure Track (Temporary) Faculty

• At the District-wide Counselor In-service on September 8thwe were tasked with providing research on the issue of Full-time Non-Tenure Track (FTNTT) Counselor positions.

• According to a report by the American Association of University of Professors (AAUP), “As the number of non-tenure-track faculty appointments grows, the base of the tenure system erodes. Failure to extend to all faculty reasonable professional commitments compromises quality and risks the stability of the profession and the integrity of our standing with the public.”*

• On 9/13/16 a question was posted on the Academic Senate for CA Community Colleges (ASCCC) forum board asking how many campuses have recently hired FTNTT faculty. The question did not specifically qualify if they were counseling positions, just to get a sense of what other disciplines might be FTNTT. In our own District, we’ve recently listed 2 counseling and 1 biological sciences FTNTT.

• Responses came back that most were, as expected, counseling faculty positions, but there were some instructional departments also hiring FTNTT. It was mentioned that the justification for their temporary status was based on how permanent the funding was. However, there were positions that were hired with SSSP money that were non-tenure track because their administration did not feel that SSSP would be ongoing—an erroneous assumption as the State Chancellor’s Office confirmed that SSSP is considered ongoing categorical appropriation.

• Another issue of concern shared by other colleges was that if a faculty member was FTNTT and then applied for and was hired full-time, tenure-track, the service and time accrued as FTNTT would be applicable as time served toward tenure.

• On 9/19/16, the AFT Union President was contacted to clarify if there was a Union “stance” on FTNTT. Question was referred to AFT Chief Grievance Officer who stated that while the hiring of FTNTT is an administrative decision with no Union purview, we (the faculty) should strongly advocate for FT tenure track positions. She did confirm that in VCCCD, FTNTT would get credit toward tenure if ever hired for a tenured position.
• On 9/22/16, at an AFT Contract Negotiation meeting, that while FTNTT do get service credit toward tenure, it was noted that the evaluation process for FTNTT is not the same as tenure-track probationary faculty. The Union is taking under consideration adding language to make the evaluation process similar for both types of positions.

PROPOSED RESOLUTION

Whereas, The Ventura County Community College District has, in the past few months, advertised three Full-time, Non-tenure track faculty positions (two Counseling , one Biological Sciences ) and the justification for hiring FT, Non-tenure track faculty is often contingent on whether funding is permanent and ongoing;

Whereas, Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) funding is considered a permanent and ongoing, categorical appropriation (similar to EOPS and Access/DSPS) and will remain so as mandated by legislation;

Whereas, FT Non-tenure track faculty get service credit toward tenure if they are later hired in a FT Tenure-track position;

Resolved, that the Academic Senate recommend that faculty positions be hired as FT tenure track if funding is permanent and ongoing (i.e. SSSP);

Resolved, that any FT, Non-tenure track positions revert to tenured positions if their funding source is permanent and ongoing (i.e. SSSP);

Resolved, that the Academic Senate recommend that FT Non-tenure track positions have the same evaluation process as FT tenure track faculty.

* American Association of University of Professors. (1993) The Status of Non-Tenure Track Faculty. Retrieved from AAUP website: